In an interview with the Italian daily newspaper Repubblica, U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta offered an optimistic assessment of relations between Washington and Rome, arguing that the recent disagreement between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni should not overshadow the broader alliance.
Ambassador Fertitta, who has served as ambassador for 16 months, said military, economic, cultural and political cooperation between the two countries has continued without interruption.
He expects Trump and Meloni to meet again and move beyond their differences, which emerged after Washington sought greater Italian support over Iran. Ambassador Fertitta stressed that Trump continues to regard Italy as an important global partner.
The ambassador also highlighted Italy’s potential role in international security. Washington would strongly welcome Carabinieri involvement in training future security forces in Gaza, he said, describing the Italian force as exceptionally respected for peacekeeping and military policing. He also suggested Italy could maintain an important presence in Lebanon.
On NATO, Ambassador Fertitta said no final decisions have been made regarding U.S. troop deployments in Europe, although forces could eventually be shifted among allied countries depending on their commitments.
The interview also explored trade, immigration, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. Ambassador Fertitta defended Trump’s push for more balanced trade with Europe and emphasized the importance of reducing Western dependence on China for strategic materials.
His relationship with Italy is also personal. Ambassador Fertitta’s great-grandfather left Palermo for New Orleans in 1887. The businessman, whose fortune is estimated at $11 billion and who owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets, spent much of the summer traveling along the Italian coast aboard his yacht Boardwalk as part of what he calls “coastal diplomacy.”
For Ambassador Fertitta, the central message remains clear – disagreements may arise, but Italy continues to be a close and strategically important friend of the United States.
